More than 18,000 children have been killed in Gaza since the start of the war, averaging 28 fatalities daily – equivalent to the loss of an entire classroom of children every day. This stark assessment comes from UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Ted Chaiban, speaking immediately after a five-day mission to Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
Chaiban issued a severe famine warning for Gaza, stating the situation has deteriorated critically. “Two famine thresholds have now been exceeded,” he reported. “One in three people in Gaza endures days without any food, and malnutrition indicators have surpassed famine levels. Acute malnutrition rates have reached over 16.5% in Gaza City alone, placing more than 320,000 young children at immediate risk.”
While over 1,500 trucks loaded with essential humanitarian supplies stand ready in corridors between Egypt, Jordan, Ashdod, and Turkey, Chaiban noted that only minimal aid is getting through. “Some movement has begun,” he said, “with 33 trucks delivering life-saving powdered milk, high-energy biscuits, and hygiene kits over the past two days. But this represents only a tiny fraction of what is urgently required.”